The Michigan premiere of a gender-bending classic from Rodgers and Hart takes center stage in Oakland University’s production of “By Jupiter,” which opens Nov. 9 at Varner Hall.

Presented by the Department of Music, Theatre and Dance, this saucy comedy shows what happens when an army of Greek warriors discover the land of the Amazons, a society in which women rule and do battle - while the men mind the children and buy new hats. Eager to recover the Girdle of Diana, the Greeks are captured and hauled before the female council. Slowly, they begin to appreciate the virtues of a strong woman, while the Amazon women see equally pleasurable possibilities in the strong men they hold captive. “By Jupiter” is directed by Tom Suda, with musical direction by Fred Love.

Curtain goes up at 8 p.m. Nov. 9-11, 16, 30, Dec. 1 and 2; at 2 p.m. Nov.12, 18, 19 and Dec. 3; and 10 a.m. Friday, Nov. 17, when matinee tickets will be $6 for all seats. General admission tickets a $16, $8 for students. Tickets are available through Star Tickets Plus or by calling (800) 535-8787.

Come see the show if you want. I don't have a big lead but I do have a solo so thats cool. I'd say come see it if your bored and have nothing to do or if your into theatre because this show really hasn't been done since opening in 1942 and you probably wont get to see it here in michigan for a long time after it closes at Oakland. So if I see you then great, if not don't worry about it.

It's weird how none of you actually write in here anymore. Well hell I don't anymore. Myspace has kinda taken over the whole LJ thing, which is probably a good thing since there was a lot of drama started on LJ. But now even myspace is getting a little tiresome, which is why I'm probably writing on here for the moment. I will tell you this though (who ever might be still reading this) my life is going pretty well.

I had a pretty busy summer with being in Honk and taking summer classes along with voice lessons. But I'm glad I did it cause I am that much more closer to graduating. Don't get my wrong I have about another year or so left but at least I can see the finish line off in the distance. I did really well this summer, hell I've been doing pretty good in school in general lately. I check my GPA and I am maintaining a 3.51 which is really great for me. Not really sure if I'll keep that with fall classes. I have 14 credits and all of them are going to be a challenge. My classes are…

Not to mention if I make the fall play/musical which I hope I will. We are doing ‘By Jupiter’ and ‘Cripple of Innishmann’. I really hope I get ‘By Jupiter’ I prepared three songs to sing although they only wanted to two but what can I say, I am in over achiever. So wish me luck!

Along with being busy with school I’ve also been busy at the studio working on my CD. I am really happy with where I am going with the music it’s just taking a lot longer then expected but I guess that’s to be expected when everything has to be right. Also, I’ve been busy with going to the gym. I signed up for four months this summer and I’ve really noticed a difference so far, I just wish I could stick with it longer. I do got the school gym to go to but when will I have the time, you know? I guess I’ll try to work it in my busy schedule. I was 205 at the start of the year when I decided to quit smoking pot. That’s when I started to lose weight. I dropped down to about 195 at the start of the summer and since I’ve been going to the gym I am done to 177! I am 2 pounds shy of losing 30 pounds! Can you believe that shit?! Although I still have a little pot belly that I need to work on a little more I am really happy about my weight. I think I would be great at about 170, I got a few more months before the end of the year, do you think I can do it? Maybe.

Also something every exciting happened this week. As you know I am the type of person that needs to share his life with someone outside of friends. It’s just who I am and I accept that. I think I am a great catch and yet girls don’t seem to realize this, I’m not trying to be stuck up but I think I a pretty attractive guy, I have a lot going for me, I am affectionate, what more could a girl want. See I think I figured out my problem and that is I wasn’t going after the right type of girls. I need someone that is like me and not immature like most of the girls out there…and I think my wish came true this week. And it really was a wish because when I was camping over the weekend I saw a shooting star and I made a wish to find someone to share my life with. And what happens the next day when I get home. I get an IM from a girl that’s new in the area and wants to know what there is to do in around here. After talking online for a few hours we exchange numbers and the rest is history. Her name is Tasha and she is such a great person. She has so much going for her, she is starting out as a teacher, she is very responsible, she is willing to put forth some of the expenditures, and most of all we connect on this higher level emotionally…it’s just so nice to have that you know? Although we have only known each other for a little while I do feel that we could have something in the future. I just don’t want to rush into anything to fast like I have in the past…

All in all I am a happy camper and I could not ask for more at the moment :)

Varner Box OFfice hours are 3-6pm Tuesday-Friday, and one hour prior to event. Please call (248)370-3013, or send email to mtd@oakland.edu for ticket information. Tickets also available through ticketmaster. Visit online at www.oakland.edu/mtd

To be honest I really dislike updating on this thing, it just takes too much time but anyways here it goes...

Well Im done with the semester, it ended last week. I just got my grades in and I didnt get anything lower then a 3.4 which is really good because I thought I got a 2.5 in my spanish class. So I have 93 credits down and Im taking 6 this summer so Ill have 99 credits at the start of the fall semester and Ill finally be a senior lol.

HONK! is going well. We started our first rehearsals this past monday and we have just been pounding the music into our heads. We start our first blocking rehearsal this monday and we have to be off book. I think I have all my lines down but we'll see come monday. Three and a half weeks til Honk opens, thats just crazy. Let me know if any of you want to come see it.

So I joined the new power house gym that opened up right down the street from my house. Ive been going every day. I really want to bulk up and lose the stomach fat! So hopefully at the end of the summer Ill be able to see a change. If anyone wants to try out the gym let me know, Im aloud to invite anyone once.

Anything and everything else, Im single 22 and looking thats about it haha. Why can't I find a cute, loving girl to be with :p oh well I just hope it doesnt take me three years to find someone again, Im already coming up on one year lol.

I fucking hate this liquid diet I have to be on! Im freaking starving! AHHH! And my throat hurt like a mother! And my meds are making me feel sick! I fucking hate this shit, I wish I could sleep for the next week so I wouldn't have to deal with this. Im done.

Lets start out ont the most recent. Tomorrow at 9:45am I will be getting my tonsills out. I am pretty worried to say the least. I mean they are gunna be working on something that if they fuck up, I wont have a future in the performing arts. Plus I dont like going under and then having to go through the recovery...just a pain in the ass. I just hope everything goes well. Wish me luck.

Second, I made Oakland's spring musical, "Honk". Its childrens musical about the Ugly Duckling. I play two characters, Drake, who is Ugly's father. Then I play Greylag who is General Goose who helps Ugly find his way home to his mother. All in all I will have three solos! And I get to open up the show with a solo! How cool is that? Im really excited. Anyone who wants to see the show can. Tickets are $12 for general and $6 for students also the morning shows are $6. The show dates are...

Wednesday, May 31st 10amThursday, June 1st 10amFriday, June 2nd 10am and 7pmSaturday, June 3rd 7pmSunday, June 4th 2pm

Im in a weird state in my life right now. Im 21 years of age going on 22. Im gunna be 22 years old in just a few short months, God Im getting old. I should be graduating this year from college but I prolly have roughly 2 more years left. So Im gunna be half way through my 20s before I graduate. So Im gunna be 24 with a degree but I cant move out to New York yet. Cuz now I have to get a job and work my ass off to get some money in the bank before I leave. So Ill give it one full year of a full time job. Ill prolly start at roughly 8 dollars in hour at 40 hours a week, 52 weeks in a year and that comes out to 13,000 with taxes taken out. 13 grand is an ok start to move out to New York. So Ill be 25 years of age with 13,000 in my pocket heading off to New York. So I get to New York and right away Ill be looking for a job because that 13 grand isnt going to last forever. Ill find a job prolly working as a waiter, working from 6pm-2am every night I can. Wake up at 8am and head off to auditions that will take up most of my morning. I come home take a nap cuz I only got 5 hours of sleep the night before. Wake up at 2 in the afternoon look for more auditions to go to the next morning and then make dinner for myself. By this time it will be 5pm and I have to get ready for work and take the subway to work which if I live out side of Manhattan it will take me roughly 30 minutes to get there. And start over and do the same thing for the rest of my life until hopefully one day Ill get that part in that play only for it to last 6 to 9 months if the run is good if not I give it a weekend if that. And then back to my old job just waiting tables and auditioning for more work. Will I ever get to the point where Im famous and wont need to wait tables ever again? Mostly likely no. Will I ever be stable with my job that I can afford to have fun with the little time I have? Maybe but only if I pick up a few jobs that I dont want to do. So my question is why the hell am I going to school. Why do I want to do this for my career? Its not very logical. Im just at a point in my life where I just want to say fuck it and mooch off my parents as long as I can because life isnt getting any easier from here on out. That to me sounds like the most logical thing Ive ever came up with.

And that my friends is just one thing that is troubling me right now. Can you believe it?

So Im in Bloomington/Normal Illinois for ACTF and so far so good. I havent done much except settle in and relax while all there Irene Ryan nominees are competeing. Our show Urinetown performance isnt until the last day of the festival on Saturday for three performances. So until then I have really nothing to do besides go see shows and have fun. There are a few shows that I want to go see like Proof, and Side by Side Sondheim and a few others that escape me at the moment. Im trying to say away from the workshops, I went to a few of them last year and they were pretty boring...

Classes at Oakland are pretty cool

My Directing class looks like its going to be my favorite class surprizingly. We are working on a project called Art in Myself were we are gunna direct a mini scene with little or no dialoge about our life. Then we'll we working on a few scenes in groups and then in our final we get to direct a scene were we get to audition for the parts...Its funny but I believe I could prolly do this for a living besides acting. I never thought Id say it but there are other things that I would love to do.

My Shakespeare class looks really hard but Im sure I can get through it. We were assigned groups to do a scene from "Two Gentalmen of Verona." Also I have to write this damn Sonate when I get back home and I dont get how to do it oh well Ill figure it out. I also have to do a monologue and another scene at the end of the semester.

My Spanish class is going to be hard also since I havent had a class ever before. Not much to say about this class, its pretty self explanitory.

I was gunna take voice lessons but since Im gunna have my tonsills out in a few weeks and its gunna take a few weeks to recover its prolly best to get out of it. so instead Im taking Jazz dance class. I only had one class so far but I can already tell its going to be useful to me. We really worked on our abs which I do need oh so bad since Im fat lol. So Im happy about taking this class.

I auditioned for Midsummer last week and I didnt get a part, oh well I guess I wont be doing a show this semester I guess thats ok since I have a pretty hard schedule of classes and I want to do good. I do have to work on a show so I put my name in hat and theyll place me where ever they need me. Kerro said something about running sound for a show, that would be interesting since Ive never done that before. Im also gunna be running for office for next year for the student runned Actors n Techies at Oakland. I just think the more involed I am the better.

Not too bad, nothing lower then a high B. But Im soo glad Im on my break, I really needed one.

Urinetown is not quite over with yet. The whole show got accepted to ACTF! I am really excited to take it there but Im not excited about reblocking everything for it to fit in the theatre space we were given at Illinois State. So Ill have to go back to school a little early to get everything figured out for Urinetown. Ill be there from January 10-15th and we perform 3 shows on the last day! Bleh not looking forward to that, can you say vocal distress?!

I got a new Kitten a few weeks ago, his name is Fosse! After Bob Fosse the greatest dancer ever known to man. I named him after him because of the way he stands up on his back legs, turned outward. Anyways hes really cute!

Ive really been enjoying my break to say the least, I havent done jack and I like it! All I really do is play my new GTA game that I got for an early christmas present. But thats it for now, maybe more to come later

10 years ago I was: 11 years old. I was in 6th grade. Prolly not one of the most popular kids in school. Not really much to say at this point lol.

5 years ago I was: 16 years old. My Junior year of high school. Started to date Jenny again, Was Bernardo in West Side Story, Won best actor that year, Went to New Orleans for showchoir, found out I was gunna be the drama club president, and found out I was accepted into Interlochen Arts camp.

1 year ago I was: 20 years old 3rd year Sophmore at Macomb CC, Started to take classes at Oakland University, and played Thoreau in The Night Thoreau Spent in Jail

Yesterday I: had my first night off for Urinetown for a very rehearsal/show process. I still got 2 more weekends tho, so thats still fun.

5 snacks I enjoy:~ Cookies~ Doritos~ Popcorn~ m&ms~ Icecream

5 songs I know all the words to:~ the entire RENT soundtrack~ Tenacious D~ John Mayer~ Josh Groban~ Green Day

5 things I would do with 100 million dollars:~ Buy a nice car~ give some to my parents~ Buy a house~ Give to others~ Support my carrer

The theatre program at Oakland University is one of the first universities in the country to obtain rights to perform the hit Broadway musical “Urinetown” by Mark Hollman and Greg Kotis. The OU production, directed by Michael Gillespie with music direction by Fred Love and choreography by Gregory Patterson, opens Thursday, Nov. 10, at 8 p.m. in Varner Studio Theatre.

The residents of “Urinetown” are faced with the reality that due to a drought, private toilets are outlawed. Public pay toilets are their only option and are controlled by an unscrupulous company. In the midst of crisis and class struggle, romance blooms in a musical that keeps it out of the gutter while managing to pull off a hilariously good time.

“’Urinetown’ is very funny and very smart,” Gillespie said. “On the one hand, it’s a kind of ‘Where's Waldo’ for musical theatre lovers who can recognize bits and pieces of their favorite musicals being stolen, spoofed and skewered throughout the show. On the other hand, it wraps the bitter pill of social commentary in the sugar coating of humor in the great tradition of theatrical comedy.”

Savvy theatergoers will recognize parodies of other well-known musicals such as “Sweeney Todd” and “Les Miserables” in the score of “Urinetown.”

Love makes his debut as head of Music Theatre/Voice Division at Oakland University. He performed leading roles in more than 60 musicals, operettas and operas in Canada, the United States and Germany. Credits include “Show Boat” on Broadway, the Canadian Premiere of “Master Class” at the National Arts Centre and “Passion” on the CanStage. He recently appeared as a featured soloist at the Hummingbird Center for the Performing Arts in Toronto. He has been on faculty at Sheridan College in Toronto and guest teacher at Queen’s University in Kingston.

A signed performance of “Urinetown” is set for Sunday, Nov. 20, at 2 p.m. Show times are Nov. 10, 17-19 and Dec. 1-3 at 8 p.m.; Nov. 13 at 7 p.m.; Nov. 11 and 18 at 10 a.m.; and Nov. 12 and 20 and Dec. 4 at 2 p.m.

Tickets are $15 for general audience and $8 for students.

For more information, contact the Varner Box Office at (248) 370-3013 or e-mail mtd@oakland.edu. For more information on the theatre program at OU, see the Department of Music, Theatre and Dance Web site.

5 years ago: Junior year in High school, my favorite year. Started to date Jenny again, Was Bernardo in West Side Story, Won best actor that year, Went to New Orleans for showchoir, found out I was gunna be the drama club president, and found out I was accepted into Interlochen Arts camp.

1 year ago: 3rd year Sophmore at Macomb CC, Started to take classes at Oakland University, and played Thoreau in The Night Thoreau Spent in Jail

Tomorrow: Homework! Homework! Homework! blah!

5 snacks I enjoy: Cookies, Doritos, Popcorn, Brownies, Icecream

5 bands/artists that I know the lyrics to most of their songs : Tenacious D, John Mayer, Josh Groban, Green Day, and several musicals

5 things I would do with a $100,000,000: I would give most of that shit away, who needs that much money? I would be a house and a car and put money into getting "Noticed" as an actor.

5 places I would like to run away to: New York, Cancun, Europe, Caribbean, LA

So I had a pretty good weekend. I saw three shows in the past three nights...

Life, Death, Etc

Was a couple of one acts wrote by John Wensle, a student at Oakland. It was a pretty good show. Very comical but also had a meaning. It took place in many different scenes but they over all saying was just to enjoy the life that you have because its very short. My friend Marco acting in it...he was pretty funny. I think my favorite scene was when we was pretending to be an Italian waiter but after he gets drunk off his ass he reveals to everyone that he isn't. He did a really good job he should be up for the running for the Irine Ryan award for ACTF.

Thoroughly Modern Millie

So I went to the Macomb Center for this one. I was gunna get tickets before hand but the box office said it would be cheaper if I waited and bought then at the door. So I did, I just didnt know how cheap they would be lol. So I got there and these two little old ladies tried to sell there tickets to me. then this other guys was like I have a better seat but since the ladies came to me first I thought Id listen and see what they had to say. Well I was about to buy a ticket from them to help them off when that one guy came back and was like here just take it I was gunna throw it out anyway. I was like damn! I just scored a free ticket! I was only expecting to get 5 dollars off not a free ticket! The guy was like the next time Im at a show and I have an extra ticket, pay it forward and give it away...and ofcourse I said I would. The show itself was pretty good. I had the CD and I listened to it a few times but actually seeing the show made the music more sence cuz I didnt know the story line before. The Girl who played Millie was amazing, very expressive and really out there! I liked her to say the least. So you know me Im an actor and I like to pick at all the shows I see. So here I am watching the Dances, and I was like Damn I can do that or Ive done that before! I could totally do this lol. The only thing that might hang me up is Tap...I have only done a few things with it, I really need to take a class so I can learn. Anyways I forgot there is a refrence to Gilbert and Sullivans "Pirates of penzance". The Song "I Am The Very Model Of A Modern Major-General" is the same music in Millies "The Speed Test". Listen to it its crazy!

Sweeey Todd

I went to go see this show last night at St. Dunstans theatre. I happen to notice that my friend Carl from Macomb was in the ensemble so that was pretty cool. Also my Music Director for Evita, Matt Horn, was the Music Director for this show, so that was pretty cool. So The girl who played Johanna knew me I guess she has the same voice teacher as I do at Oakland. I totally forgot that we met one day lol. But she was pretty good but the song was even better. Theres a song called 'Johanna' and its beautiful and its not too high for me so this is def. a song that I want to learn to put in my rep. The show was great and the guy who played Sweeney was amazing he had incredable energy throughout the whole show! I was dissapointed witht the set though. I know its only a community theatre show but they could of done so much more with it I believe. I really wanted to see the trap door and able to see wear the body slides down underneath. Instead they had the bodies slip in the back. I guess after watching "Jersey Girl" and watching the one scene from this show I was dissapointed seeing what they did. But the Acting was Great! I really enjoyed myself even though the show is a little long, just under three hours. I would still like to be in this show one day cuz its amazing...and I would totally go for the Charactor "Anthony" the guy who sings "Johanna"

But yea I had a fun weekend. I wish I had the money to do this every weekend I would totally do it...or atleast have tickets giving to me ;)

so yea Im a little depressed lol. Im looking at my life and Im comparing it to others and I am really not in the place I thought Id be. I got one friend that moved to New York, another in Los Vegas, and another one thats planing to move to Jersy. I got so many of my friends that are finally doing something with there lifes and look at me. I got nothing. Well maybe not nothing but its def. not where I thought Id be at this point in my life. Im 21 years old, I feel like I should be doing something with my life and not being at home and going to school. After this Semester Im gunna have 81 credits so if I take 13 credits a semester and take a 4 credits in the summer next year I can gradute from college right after my 5 year in but thats if I hull ass and all the classes I need can be taken. Even if I do that...Ill be 23 years old and Ill have is my degree, damn life is going by fast. I wish I had more time. anyways enough of being all depressed...

I went to go see "the waiting room" last night at Oakland. It was an interesting show to say the least. I really didnt like the set all too much, kinda boring. But the script was pretty funny and acting was pretty good so that made up for it. I didnt really enjoy myself though...not that it was bad or anything just because I auditioned for this show and I had to cold read some of the scenes for try-outs and I helped a couple of my friends to run throught lines...so I knew what the show was about so that took away from the over all effect. Plus I knew the people in the show which also took away from the show. Its always better to see plays where you dont know people I guess thats because its fresh and you dont see that as the person but as the character that they are playing. But it was a really good show and I think people should go see it its playing for one more weekend so all should go.

Since Ive been so busy lately with school and the play I thought Id do something for myself today so I went and bought 3 dvds...jay and Silent Bob strike back, Requiem for a Dream, and Fight Club. 3 movies Ive been wanting but never really had the movie to get, its nice to add to my collection. fo sho.

:::on a side note Im feeling pretty good, Im kinda floatin:::

But yea so thats whats going on in my life right now. Urinetown is going pretty good. I found out a weekago that I have to learn the Tenor part for all the times I play a poor person. So that really sucks! But Im gunna try to do it. I gotta cuz supposly Im like the only one lol. My music director Mr. Fred Love said I can do it...he really thinks that Im gunna become this Tenor and I has doubts about that, I dont think so lol. Act one is competely block so thats cool and now on to act two this week. I got something like 5 more weeks before the show opens on the 10th of November? I believe.